Is Direct Auto Good for Car Insurance?
Last Updated on June 10, 2023
Direct Auto is a Nashville, Tennessee-based car insurance company catering mostly to high-risk drivers.
If you have multiple at-fault accidents or if you need SR-22 insurance, then Direct Auto may be one of your best options.
Find out everything you need to know about Direct Auto Insurance and how it compares to other providers today in our review.
Key Takeaways:
- Direct Auto Insurance is a car insurance company catering to high-risk drivers who require basic liability insurance, SR-22 certification, and roadside assistance coverage.
- The company is a subsidiary of National General and offers other insurance products, such as life and health insurance.
- Direct Auto Insurance offers a smaller range of discounts than traditional insurance providers, but drivers can still qualify for multi-vehicle, safe driver, and low mileage discounts, among others.
- The company has mixed reviews, with some customers praising the affordable rates, while others express dissatisfaction with customer service and claims handling.
About Direct Auto Insurance
Direct Auto Insurance is an insurance company offering auto, health, life, and other insurance products.
Direct Auto is best known for catering to high-risk drivers, including drivers needing SR-22 certification in car insurance. If you let your car insurance lapse or have multiple at-fault accidents on your record, you may need high-risk car insurance or an SR-22 certificate.
The Nashville-headquartered company is a subsidiary of National General. National General has owned the company since 2016.
In recent years, Direct General has partnered with celebrities like former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel, former figure skater Tonya Harding, and rapper Fat Joe to sell various insurance products across the United States.
It’s important to note that Direct Auto Insurance is completely different from another well-known high-risk car insurance company in the United States, The General. Direct Auto’s parent company, Direct General Group, shares a similar name, Direct Auto and The General are completely different entities.
Direct Auto Insurance is popular among high-risk drivers or anyone needing an SR-22 certificate. Many of these high-risk drivers are simply looking to get back on the road at a reasonable rate. They want cheap rates on basic liability insurance – not full coverage car insurance
Direct Auto Insurance Products & Services
Direct Auto Insurance works differently from other car insurance providers. While other car insurance providers cater to drivers of all risk levels and insurance needs, Direct Auto Insurance mostly caters to high-risk drivers who need basic liability insurance.
Core products and services offered by Direct Auto Insurance include:
SR-22 Insurance: Direct Auto Insurance offers SR-22 certificates, also known as SR-22 insurance. If your car insurance has lapsed, or if you have caused multiple at-fault accidents in recent years, then you may require an SR-22 certificate to verify financial responsibility.
Bodily Injury Liability Coverage: Required in most states, bodily injury liability coverage covers lost wages, medical bills, and other expenses incurred by people you injure while driving. If you buy a basic liability insurance plan, then it comes with bodily injury liability coverage in most states.
Property Damage Liability Coverage: Property damage liability coverage covers damage you cause to other people’s vehicles and property while driving.
Full Coverage Car Insurance: Generally, people use Direct Auto Insurance for minimum liability insurance. However, drivers who want additional coverage can purchase full coverage car insurance (including comprehensive coverage and collision coverage) through Direct Auto Insurance. However, high-risk drivers with full coverage car insurance often pay exorbitantly high rates, which is why many drivers skip coverage.
Roadside Assistance Coverage: Direct Auto offers extensive roadside insurance packages. For a few extra dollars per month, you can be covered for flat tires, tows, battery jumpstarts, fuel delivery, and more.
Other Insurance Products: Direct Auto Insurance offers life insurance, health insurance, and other insurance products either directly or through its parent family. Direct’s life insurance is unique, with policies up to $25,000 available (coverage varies by state). You can buy a 6-month or 12-month term, no medical exam is required, and you can renew for up to 2 years at the same premium.
Direct Auto Insurance Discounts
Direct Auto Insurance offers a smaller range of discounts than ordinary insurance providers. The company caters mostly to high-risk drivers who already pay the costliest car insurance premiums and may not qualify for many discounts.
However, certain Direct Auto Insurance customers may qualify for discounts, including all of the following discounts:
Military Discount: If you are an active duty or retired member of the military, then you could qualify for the company’s military discount.
Safe Driver Discount: Rules vary by state, but drivers with 3 to 7 years of clean driving history could qualify for the safe driver discount.
Senior Citizen Discount: Drivers over 55 years of age who complete a driver training course could qualify for Direct Auto Insurance’s senior citizen discount.
Multi-Vehicle Discount: Direct Auto Insurance offers a multi-vehicle discount to drivers who insure multiple vehicles with the company.
Low Mileage Discount: The average American drives approximately 9,000 to 12,000 miles per year, depending on your state. If you drive significantly fewer miles than that average, then you could qualify for a low mileage discount. Rules vary by state, but you could qualify for this discount if you drive 6,000 or fewer miles yearly.
Multi-Policy Bundling Discount: Direct Auto Insurance’s parent company sells various insurance products and services, including life and health insurance. If you bundle multiple policies together, then you receive a discount across all policies.
Continuous Coverage Discount: If you have maintained continuous insurance coverage with your previous insurer for at least six months and have not had a lapse longer than 90 days, then you could qualify for Direct Auto Insurance’s continuous coverage discount.
Returning Customer Discount: Direct Auto Insurance has a unique returning customer discount. If you have previously purchased a policy from the company, then you could qualify for a small discount (assuming you purchased the previous policy more than six months ago).
Direct Auto Insurance Reviews: What Do Customers Have to Say?
Direct Auto Insurance is not one of America’s largest or best-known insurance companies, so it doesn’t appear on nationwide or regional rankings like the J.D. Power list.
However, Direct Auto Insurance receives ratings from A.M. Best and other certification agencies to verify its financial strength, customer service, and other metrics.
There are several Better Business Bureau (BBB) pages for Direct Auto Insurance based on its different locations. However, this BBB page for the company’s Nashville headquarters has the most reviews. Direct Auto Insurance has an average rating of 1.06 out of 5, with 400+ reviews on that BBB page.
The company has had 1,544 complaints closed in the last three years and 717 in the last 12 months. All of these numbers are bad for an ordinary insurance company. However, they’re similar to the ratings seen with other high-risk car insurance companies. These companies specialize in providing high-risk auto insurance to high-risk drivers: they’re not known for good customer service or claims satisfaction.
The company also has a National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) rating of 10.92 (Poor). This means, according to the NAIC, Direct Auto insurance receives more complaints than average.
Meanwhile, A.M. Best individually analyzes each Direct Auto Insurance subsidiary to verify its financial strength. A.M. Best awarded Direct Auto Insurance a financial strength rating of B (Fair) in most locations nationwide. This rating applies to the company’s auto insurance and life insurance divisions. That’s a relatively poor financial strength rating, and it’s related to the fact that Direct specializes in insuring high-risk drivers.
However, A.M. Best praised the company for positive growth in operating earnings to offset this high risk. And more recent A.M. Best ratings have upgraded the company’s financial strength to A+ (Excellent), one score above the previous rating, suggesting the company has improved its financial strength in recent years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Word – Direct Auto Insurance Review
Direct Auto Insurance is a high-risk car insurance company known for helping high-risk drivers legally drive – but not much else.
The company is not known for its strong claims satisfaction or customer service; instead, Direct Auto Insurance is best known for SR-22 certification and minimum liability insurance for drivers, with few other options.
| Direct Auto Insurance | |
|---|---|
| Company Address | 1281 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, TN 37217 |
| Phone Number | 1-877-463-4732 |
| Website URL | https://www.directauto.com/ |
